


My Brother's Boyfriend

by obsessivechild



Category: Bandom, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Boyfriends, Brothers, Jealousy, Love, M/M, relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-02
Updated: 2015-06-02
Packaged: 2018-04-02 13:22:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4061560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obsessivechild/pseuds/obsessivechild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn't fair.<br/>The one time Gerard actually has feelings for someone, that person has to be taken.<br/>By his brother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

He wanted to yell; to tell the whole world.

He wanted everyone to know.

Was it true though?

Did he actually?

Of course he did.

Gerard was pretty confident about his feelings towards Frank.

He knew how he felt.

He knew he was practically head over heels for him.

Gerard suspected he had fallen for Frank from the first moment he'd met him.

From the first time he'd opened the front door to see Frank Iero standing there.

"Um hi... Can I help you?" Were the first words Gerard had said.

"Oh yeah. Does um Mikey live here?" Frank had asked.

"Yeah, I'll get him for you."

Gerard looked Frank up and down.

He was certainly a sight to behold.

Even though he was a little shorter than the average man, he was pretty cool.

He had both piercings and tattoos covering his body.

His piercings consisted of earrings, a nose ring and a lip ring.

Gerard suddenly found himself wondering what it would be like to kiss someone with a lip ring.

He shook those thoughts away.

As for Frank's tattoos, from what Gerard could see, they covered his arms and part of his neck.

He also had some on his hands.

Frank raised an eyebrow when Gerard hadn't moved.

"Um... What's your name? Just so I can tell him who you are..." Gerard mentally facepalmed for sounding like a douche.

"Oh yeah sorry, it's Frank."

Gerard nodded and said, "I'm Gerard," before going to find his brother.

He stopped himself when he was two steps away from the front door.

He turned back to Frank.

"Would you like to come in?"

"Yeah sure, thanks," Frank smiled and came into the apartment, shutting the door behind him.

"Just wait in there," Gerard gestured towards the living room.

"Okay."

Gerard headed for the kitchen to find his brother, Mikey, leaning against one of the counters, sipping some coffee.

"Hey, Gee, what's up?" Mikey took another long slurp.

"You have a visitor," Gerard poured himself a mug.

"Oh yeah?" Mikey frowned, "Who's that then?"

"Some guy called Frank."

Gerard thought about the guy in the next room.

He wanted to talk to him; to get to know him.

Even though he had no idea who the hell he was.

"Really?" Mikey's eyes lit up, "What time is it?"

Gerard checked the time on his phone.

"Nearly half eleven," He replied.

"Shit!" Mikey quickly downed the rest of his coffee and bolted out of the room.

Out of curiosity, Gerard followed his brother into his bedroom.

He leant against the door frame, slowly engulfing his heaven in a mug and watching Mikey.

"What are you doing?" Gerard asked.

Mikey, who was throwing clothes around, said frantically, "Looking for something to wear! I didn't realise it was time already!"

Gerard raised his eyebrow, "Time for what?"

Mikey pulled out a shirt and smelled it before deciding it was clean.

He shoved it on.

"Mikey," Gerard stood up a little straighter, "What's going on? What're you rushing around for?"

Mikey jumped into a pair of black jeans and fell over in the process, "Shit!"

Gerard held back a chuckle.

He placed his now empty mug on Mikey's dresser and went to his brother's rescue.

He held out his arm.

Mikey grabbed it and hoisted himself up.

He then jumped a little more in the jeans and buttoned them up.

When he was comfy, he headed into the bathroom.

Again, Gerard followed.

"You do know he's in our living room waiting for us, right?"

"He's what?" Mikey looked up from the bathroom mirror.

"You're keeping him waiting, Mikes," Gerard observed, "Who is he anyway?"

Mikey didn't answer, he just styled some gel into his hair before shoving on his beanie.

"What's the point of putting hair gel in if you're just going to wear your beanie?" Gerard smirked.

Mikey held up his middle finger, not bothering to look away from the mirror.

"Okay," He finally faced Gerard, "I think I'm ready."

He walked out into the hallway.

"Hey, Genius, forgetting something?" Gerard motioned towards Mikey's bare feet.

"Dammit!" Mikey ran back into his room just to return moments later with one shoe on.

He hopped about, trying to put the other one on.

Gerard rolled his eyes.

He didn't bother to help though; he was enjoying the show too much.

Once Mikey had both shoes on, he leant down and tied the laces.

"Okay," He said again, standing up, "Now I'm ready."

"I can see that," Gerard commented, "But what for? You still haven't told me. And you still haven't told me who that guy in the next room is."

"Just shhh!" Mikey shut Gerard up, "I'll tell you later. Don't fuck this up for me."

A puzzled expression made its way onto Gerard's face.

He followed Mikey into the living room.

Frank, who had been sitting on the sofa, stood up and smiled.

"Hey," He grinned.

"Hi..." Mikey had suddenly gone all shy, "Sorry for keeping you waiting."

"No trouble," Frank shrugged, still smiling, "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, okay."

Mikey turned to Gerard, "I'll be back in a couple hours. Don't burn down the apartment while I'm gone."

"If anything, you'd be the one to do that, Mikes," Gerard counteracted.

He looked at Frank.

"Captain smartass here thought it would be cool to put a fork in a toaster once."

"That was one time, years ago!" Mikey pouted.

Frank was grinning away at Gerard.

"Nice one," He looked at Mikey.

Mikey blushed a little before exiting the living room, "Let's go then. As much fun as it is being mentally abused by my brother... I think it's time we went."

Frank followed Mikey into the hallway.

He smiled sheepishly at Gerard as he passed him.

Gerard did the same.

"See ya, Gee," Mikey called.

"Bye, Mikes and uh bye... Frank."

Gerard sat on the sofa.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard, "Bye, Gerard. It was nice meeting you."

Gerard's mouth cracked into a smile, "It was nice meeting you too."

The front door slammed.

Gerard sat back on the sofa.

Who was that guy?

And why was Mikey in such a nervous rush this morning?

Gerard knew he wouldn't be finding out anything yet so decided to wait for when Mikey was home.

He didn't have to wait too long.

That might have been because he had taken a nap though.

Mikey stumbled in through the front door around two.

"Good afternoon!" He called out.

Gerard looked up from a sketch to see his brother prance into the living room.

"Hey," Gerard smirked.

"Hello to you too!" Mikey jumped down next to him on the sofa.

"You're in a good mood," Gerard observed, "Are you drunk or high or...?"

"No, no! Nothing like that."

That answer actually surprised Gerard.

"Well what's gotten you in such a good mood then?" He asked.

A huge grin spread across Mikey's face.

"I have a boyfriend!" He declared.

"What?" The shock was obvious in Gerard's voice.

"Well," Mikey began, "Frank and I have been seeing each other for about a month now. I didn't say anything because I wanted to be certain about him and I am now. As of one   
o'clock this afternoon, he asked me to be his boyfriend and I said yes!"

Mikey was beaming as he thought of Frank.

Gerard's heart sank.

A lot.

Frank... Frank was Mikey's boyfriend?

But he had seen him first!

Okay... Maybe he hadn't but still!

Gerard hadn't been able to think about anything other than Frank that afternoon.

He just kept wondering about him and what his story was.

And now... He was Mikey's boyfriend.

That wasn't fair.

Gerard had never felt this way so fast about someone before and Mikey had to come and wreck it all.

Why couldn't Gerard have met him first?

It wasn't fair.

"I... Congrats, Mikes," Gerard tried his best to smile.

"Thanks!" Mikey grinned, "I've got a good feeling about Frank."

Gerard nodded slowly and stood up.

"I'm uh going out."

"Where?" Mikey frowned.

"Am I not allowed to keep secrets from my brother?"

"I guess..."

"Okay, well, see you later," Gerard left the room.

"Bye then," Mikey was a little confused.

Why wasn't Gerard happy for him?

The front door slammed, justifying Gerard's exit.

He buttoned his coat up and started walking out onto the street.

He had no idea where he was going.

All he knew was he needed to clear his head.

He pulled out his phone and thought about who to call.

He didn't exactly have a lot of contacts.

After deciding on who to call, he rang their number and waited anxiously.

"Hello?" The person answered after three rings.

"Hey, it's Gee. I was wondering if... You wanted to meet up for coffee or something?"

"Yeah sure! It would be nice to catch up. I'll meet you at the usual place around half two?"

"Okay. See you there."

They both hung up.

Gerard slowly started making his way to the usual Starbucks down the road.

As it was only fifteen or so minutes away, he was early.

He checked the time.

It was twenty past two.

After ordering his usual, he went and sat down to wait.

A second after his coffee was brought over, the guy he had been waiting for appeared at the door.

He smiled when he saw Gerard and headed over to him.

"Hey, Gee!" Ray grinned.

Gerard smiled in response and stood up to hug his old friend.

"When was the last time I saw you? Ages ago!" Ray was saying when they pulled apart.

Gerard nodded.

After Ray had his coffee and had sat down across from Gerard, he said, "So, what's up?"

Gerard's mind automatically went to Mikey and Frank.

He shrugged, "Not much. I just felt like seeing someone."

"And what made you think of me? I'm glad you did, I'm just wondering why."

Gerard shrugged again, "Not sure. I guess it would be nice if we started hanging out again."

"Yeah!" Ray grinned, "That would be great!"

He thought for a moment before deciding to ask what had been eating away at him.

"How... How's Mikey doing?"

Gerard bit his lip, "Um good. He uh he has a new boyfriend."

"Oh..." Ray slid down his chair a little, "He's moved on already?"

"Well, yeah. What else do you expect him to do? You guys broke up nearly three months ago now."

Ray nodded, "I know."

Gerard understood Ray was unhappy by hearing this news.

"Do you regret the breakup?" Gerard asked.

"What? Um no... Of course not. I want him to be happy. I'm glad he is."

"Sure," Gerard sat back and took a long sip of his coffee.

"I'm serious, Gee."

Gerard sat forward a little and said, "I think you still love him."

"What?" Ray gasped, "Of course I don't. It's been three months. I'm over him."

"Mmmhmmm..." Gerard took another gulp.

"I..." Ray didn't know what to say.

Gerard waited.

"I- at least... I think I'm over him."

"Well, in my book, unless you're one hundred percent certain, you're still hung up on him."

Ray sighed.

He hadn't initially thought that coffee with Gerard would turn into a full on interrogation.

"It doesn't matter anyway," Ray drank the remains of his coffee, "He's moved on and I guess it was time I did too."

Gerard almost choked on his coffee.

"I wouldn't get into a new relationship if I were you. It wouldn't be fair on the other person if you were still in love with your ex."

Ray sighed again, "I guess you're right. But... I just can't stop thinking about him. I swear, I've picked up the phone to call him about a million times and didn't. I really wish I had   
now."

Gerard nodded, trying to understand Ray's anguish.

Gerard had never been in a proper relationship before.

Sure, he'd had one night stands but he'd never encountered the closeness Mikey and Ray had shared.

He wanted that closeness.

He craved it.

"Look, I'd better get going," Ray stood up.

Gerard looked up at him, "Okay. Do you want to meet up again some other time?"

Ray raised an eyebrow, "Gerard... Does Mikey know about you meeting up with me?"

Gerard coughed a little, "...What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

Ray smiled a little before hugging Gerard and leaving.

Gerard watched him as he went.

Why did Ray and Mikey have to breakup?

They were literally the world's cutest couple.

But Ray had to fuck it up and now Mikey was with Frank.

Gerard sighed.

The more he thought about this intriguing stranger, the more he found himself hung up on him.

He decided to go home.

It was nearly four.

Ray had only stayed an hour or so but Gerard had just sat there for ages after he had left.

He was trying to clear his head.

He didn't do a very good job though.

In the end he just gave up and walked back to the apartment.

Mikey was watching TV when Gerard shut the front door behind him.

"Hey," Mikey called.

Gerard stopped once he was in the living room doorway.

Mikey looked up at him, "Where have you been?"

"Just... Out," Gerard shrugged.

"Um okay then," Mikey frowned, "Anyway, Frank will be over in about an hour with some dinner."

"What?" Gerard's head snapped up.

Mikey muted the TV and turned so he was facing his brother.

"I wanted you guys to meet properly so I suggested he come round. Dinner was his idea and I'm not gonna pass up free food."

Gerard bit his lip and nodded.

"That's not a problem is it?" Mikey raised an eyebrow.

"Oh um no..." Gerard took his coat off and hung it up in the hallway.

Mikey stood up and watched him.

"Look, I know this is a bit different but once you get to know Frank, you'll love him."

Gerard nodded.

He then said something he knew he shouldn't have, "Why didn't you tell me you were over Ray?"

Mikey froze and swallowed slowly, "I um... I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"Ray's a great guy and everything but you know... It's time to move on."

Gerard wasn't too convinced.

"Okay..."

"Yeah, so um..." Mikey was a little flustered, "Can you not mention Ray to Frank while he's here? I haven't exactly told him yet."

Gerard nodded, "Sure."

"Thanks, Gee," Mikey smiled a little, "I-I know Ray and I had a good, long relationship but it just didn't work out. Sometimes things just don't and we have to accept that."

He went back into the living room.

Gerard sighed a little before following him.

Mikey was watching TV again.

Gerard grabbed his sketchpad and sat on the armchair next to the window.

Five o'clock rolled around and a knock sounded at the door.

Mikey just about jumped a foot.

"He's here!" He switched off the TV.

Gerard raised an eyebrow.

He had to admit, Mikey was quite entertaining to watch when he was nervous.

"Okay, okay," Mikey calmed himself down and went to open the front door.

Gerard stayed where he was and listened out.

"Hey."

"Hey, I brought pizza."

"Cool. Come in."

"Half of it doesn't have cheese on sorry. I'm lactose intolerant."

"Oh okay. Just go on into the living room. I'll get some plates."

"Okay."

Frank appeared in the doorway with a large pizza box in his hands.

"Hi, Gerard," He greeted when he saw him.

"Hi... Um Frank."

Frank placed the box on the footstool before sitting on the sofa.

Neither of them said anything.

The silence was a little awkward.

Frank decided to break it.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

Gerard looked up from his sketchpad, "Oh um just... Drawing."

"Really?" Frank's eyes lit up.

He moved along the sofa until he was on the end of it, next to Gerard's armchair.

He leant over to look at Gerard's sketchpad.

"Wow!" He grinned, "That's really good!"

"Thanks..." Gerard blushed a little at how close Frank was to him.

He looked up to see Frank right by his face.

"Oh um..."

Frank went red too and pulled away.

Mikey was in the room then.

"I brought plates and cutlery just in case," He was saying.

"Awesome," Frank smiled.

"Shall I look for a film?" Mikey asked.

"Go ahead."

Once a film had been picked and they all had helpings of pizza, Gerard ran through in his head what had just happened.

Frank had been really close to him.

Gerard bit his lip, unsure of what to do.

It wasn't like anything had happened.

Although... That didn't stop Gerard wishing something had.

He looked over at Frank and Mikey.

They were both eating and watching the film.

Frank had his arm around Mikey and they were sitting close.

Gerard couldn't help the spike of jealousy that appeared then.

He sat back in his chair and grabbed his sketch book.

After a second of thought, he gave up and dropped it back onto the floor.

He wasn't feeling very creative anymore.

He stood up.

"I'm going out," He declared and left the room.

"What?" Mikey followed him.

Gerard was putting on his coat.

"Gee? Where are you going?" Mikey frowned.

He lowered his voice a little, "I was hoping you would get to know Frank a little."

"I can't," Gerard shook his head, "I've got to go."

"Where?" Mikey was getting angry now, "What's so important that you have to leave this very minute?"

Gerard shook his head and opened the front door.

"Gerard!" Mikey practically yelled after him.

Gerard shut the door behind him.

He felt bad but he couldn't stay there another second.

Making his way outside, he pulled out his phone and rang the only person he could think of.

"Hello?" Ray answered.

"Hey. Can I come over to yours? I need to get out of here."

"Yeah sure," Ray was a little confused, "Come on over."

"Thanks. See you soon," Gerard hung up.

Ray didn't live too far away.

When Gerard reached his apartment, he rang the buzzer.

Ray beeped him through.

The front door was already open when Gerard had made his way up.

"Hey, Gee," Ray smiled and hugged him.

"Hey," Gerard went inside.

"What's up?" Ray led him into the kitchen.

Gerard sat down at the table.

He sighed.

"I just needed somewhere to go. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Ray shook his head, "I feel quite honoured that you asked to see me twice in one day."

He laughed a little.

Gerard smiled.

"So what's this all about? I know you didn't just want to see me. There's another reason."

Gerard raked a hand through his hair.

"Coffee?" Ray turned on the machine.

"Thanks."

"Go on then, tell me," Ray leant against the counter.

Gerard took a deep breath.

"I uh... I just had to get away from Mikey and Frank."

"Frank? Is that Mikey's new boyfriend?"

Gerard nodded.

The coffee was ready.

Ray poured them each a mug and handed one to Gerard.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Now, tell me why you had to get away," Ray sat down across from him.

Gerard wasn't too sure how to explain this.

"Well... Um... They're just really annoying. Too mushy."

Gerard was surprised he had decided to lie but went with it anyway.

"Really?" Ray took a sip of his coffee.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I know you don't want to be hearing this."

"It's fine," Ray shrugged, "I need to understand that Mikey's moved on and I should too."

"I guess but... You still love him."

Ray sighed.

"I know."


	2. Part Two

A few weeks had passed since Gerard had met Mikey's new boyfriend, Frank.

There was a problem.

Gerard was really caught up on him.

He just couldn't get him out of his head.

It really didn't help that he just happened to be round Gerard and Mikey's apartment practically every day.

Gerard had made it his priority to get to know Frank.

He had been doing pretty well at asking questions without sounding too creepy.

And Frank didn't seem to mind talking about himself.

It was a Saturday morning when Gerard almost died walking into the kitchen.

He was in his pyjamas still which happened to be his skeleton onesie.

Yawning, he reached the kitchen doorway and froze.

Frank was in there.

In... In just bottoms.

His chest was bare.

Gerard swallowed hard and took in Frank's appearance.

Frank, who was facing away from him, turned around.

"Oh, good morning," He smiled.

"Uh..." Gerard was lost for words.

Frank had even more tattoos on his chest and stomach.

He wore his pyjama bottoms low and Gerard was finding it hard to keep his eyes from heading down there.

"Coffee?" Frank was pouring some into a mug.

"Um yeah thanks..." Gerard walked into the room a little more but kept his distance.

Frank handed him a mug.

Gerard hesitantly took it.

Frank grinned.

"I like your onesie."

Gerard looked up from his coffee.

"Thanks," He smiled.

Gerard took a sip.

"You look cute."

Gerard just about choked on his coffee.

"Wha-what?"

"You look cute in your onesie," Frank winked and took a gulp out of his mug.

Gerard just about died.

Mikey appeared then.

"Morning, guys," Mikey walked over to Frank.

Frank handed him a mug of coffee.

"Thanks," Mikey kissed him.

Gerard's heart dropped and he looked down.

When he had looked back up, Frank was whispering something in Mikey's ear and Mikey was giggling.

Shit.

This was so unfair.

Gerard had to leave the room.

He went into the living room and collapsed into the armchair.

Sadly, Frank and Mikey had followed him.

"Oh hey, thanks for letting me borrow some of your pyjamas," Frank smiled as he sat on the sofa.

"No problem," Mikey grinned back.

Just no.

No no no.

Frank had spent the night and-

Oh God.

Gerard shivered.

He needed to get out of there.

He was tired of running though.

An idea sprang to mind.

"I'm going to go have a shower," Gerard stood up.

"Okay," Mikey switched on the TV.

Frank smiled at him as he left the room.

When Gerard had finished having a shower, he looked in the bathroom mirror.

He wasn't sure what to do.

He sighed.

There was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Are you almost done?" Someone called.

"Yeah, I'll come out now," Gerard replied.

He opened the door to find Frank standing there, smiling.

Gerard blushed as red as his hair.

He was only in a towel and his hair was dripping wet.

Frank looked him up and down.

"Hot," He commented.

Gerard stood awkwardly, not sure of what to do.

Frank was not making things easier by flirting.

Wait... He wasn't flirting.

...Was he?

"Uh... Excuse me," Gerard bolted into his bedroom.

He shut the door behind him.

Before he had time to think, Gerard grabbed his cellphone and sent a text:

"Come over now. It's important."

He didn't wait to see if he would get a reply.

He plugged in his hairdryer.

When his hair was dry, he got dressed.

He went back into the living room to find Frank... Alone.

Frank smiled when he saw him.

"You should walk around in just a towel more often..." Frank said suggestively.

What.

The.

Fuck?!

Gerard was so confused.

Frank had never acted like this before.

Why was he suddenly saying all of these things?

"You gonna sit down?" Frank glanced at the sofa next to him.

Gerard shakily sat down.

Frank smiled again.

"So what you up to today?" Frank asked.

"I um... I have a friend coming over."

"Oh yeah? Who?"

Before Gerard could answer, there was a knock on the door.

Wow, great timing.

"I'll get it," Gerard jumped up and out of the room.

When he opened the front door, he smiled.

Ray smiled back.

"Come in."

Ray's smile disappeared, "Are you sure Mikey's okay with me being here?"

"I uh... I didn't ask him. You're my friend. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, I guess," Ray shrugged.

"Why did you want me to come over anyway?" He asked.

Gerard shook his head and led him into the living room.

Frank looked up.

"Hi."

"Ray, this is Frank. Frank, this is Ray," Gerard introduced.

Frank stood up and held out his hand.

"Hey. So um... Are you a friend of Gerard's?"

Ray shook his hand and replied, "Yeah, yeah. We've known each other a long time."

Gerard sat back down on the sofa and so did Frank.

Ray stood awkwardly by the window.

"So..." Frank began but stopped because Mikey had appeared in the living room doorway.

His eyes were fixed on the bushy-haired man.

"R-Ray...?"

"Hi, Mikes," Ray smiled a little.

Mikey couldn't believe it.

"What... What are you doing here?"

Ray glanced at Gerard before looking back at Mikey.

Mikey understood and glared at Gerard.

"Um... Am I missing something here?" Frank frowned in confusion.

Gerard bit the bullet, "Ray and Mikey used to go out."

Mikey was already pissed at him; he might as well go the full yard.

"Oh," Frank felt a little uncomfortable, "If you like, I could go-"

"No, it's fine," Mikey cut him off.

Ray walked towards the door, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come."

Gerard stood up, "I invited you, Ray. You don't have to go."

Ray shook his head, "No it's just... It's too soon."

He passed Mikey and left the room.

The front door slammed shut.

"What the fuck, Gerard?!" Mikey burst once Ray had left, "What do you think you're doing?!"

Gerard merely shrugged in response.

"What was going through your head?!" Mikey carried on, "Just why?!"

Gerard decided to answer this time, "I just wanted to see a friend and I'm tired of running away."

"What the hell are you going on about?"

Gerard shook his head and left the room.

"Gerard!"

Gerard ignored him and went into his bedroom.

He knew that that was a stupid idea but he needed to see a friendly face.

He wondered what Mikey would be saying to Frank.

When ten minutes had passed, there was a knock on Gerard's door.

"Hey," Frank popped his head round, "Could I come in?"

Gerard was surprised to see Frank.

"Yeah, I guess."

Frank opened the door fully and walked in, closing it behind him.

He stopped when he was in the middle of the room.

Gerard was sitting on his bed, watching him.

"Mikey's pretty pissed," Frank told him.

"I gathered."

"I didn't ask him because well... I want to know... Could I ask you something?"

Gerard frowned, "Yeah, sure."

Frank smiled and sat down next to Gerard on the bed.

"Why um... Why did Mikey and Ray break up?"

Gerard hadn't expected that.

But then again, what had he expected?

"It's kind of complicated," Gerard admitted.

"I want to know," Frank scooted closer to him on the bed, "Tell me everything, the whole story."

"Well," Gerard began, "I met Ray first at a comic book store down in town. I'm not sure why but something about him made me talk to him. Anyway, we were talking about random crap when Mikey came over. I had been waiting for Mikes to finish his shift at the cinema at the time. I usually waited in the comic book store. I introduced him to Ray and they just got chatting. A couple days later, Mikey told me he was going out. When he told me who with, I was a little surprised because he hadn't mentioned Ray since he had met him. So they kept hanging out and eventually Mikey told me Ray was his boyfriend. I was really happy for them. We would all hang out and Ray would be over every day and Mikey would be round his place a lot too. They really worked as a couple."

"So why did they break up?" Frank asked.

"Well... They had been together about six months when... Well..."

"Just say it, Gerard."

"One of Ray's old boyfriends got in touch with him and asked to meet up to catch up or some shit. Ray agreed and met up with him for coffee. Of course when Mikey found out, he  
wasn't happy. He made Ray promise not to see that guy again. But... Ray did. I'm not sure why. But he did. Mikey found out and flipped his shit. He didn't let Ray say why he had  
seen him but I think it must have been pretty important otherwise Ray wouldn't have gone. He would never have risked breaking his promise to Mikey just to see one of his exes. I  
think there was some big reason but... Mikes wouldn't hear any of it and broke up with him. This was three months ago. I honestly didn't think Mikey would be okay again. He was  
so depressed for ages. I hate saying this but... I think he's tried to move on too fast. He likes you though, Frank. I can tell he does. It's just that..."

"I understand."

"You do?" Gerard looked at Frank.

"Yeah. You're worried about your brother. I would be too if I was in the same situation. Do you honestly think Ray had a valid reason to see his ex then? You don't think he was  
cheating?"

Gerard shook his head, "Ray isn't like that. He really loves Mikey."

"Loves? As in, he still does?"

"Um no... I meant, 'loved'," Gerard swallowed slowly.

Frank raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"I know what you're thinking," Gerard sighed, "Don't break up with him just because you think it's the right thing to do."

It was hard for Gerard to say that but he didn't want his brother to get hurt even more.

Frank nodded slowly, thinking.

Gerard stood up.

He knew he had to apologise to Mikey for inviting Ray over.

"You coming?" Gerard asked once he was by the door.

Frank stood up and followed him into the living room.

Mikey was sat back on the sofa, arms behind his head and eyes closed.

Gerard sat down next to him.

Mikey didn't open his eyes.

Frank stayed by the door.

"I-I'm sorry, Mikes. I shouldn't have asked Ray over. I didn't think. I'm sorry."

Mikey opened his eyes then and looked at his brother.

"It's fine," He shrugged, "It was just a bit of a shock, you know? Seeing him..."

Gerard nodded, "Yeah... Sorry."

Mikey looked over at Frank.

Frank smiled sheepishly.

"I should have told you, Frank. I'm sorry," Mikey bit his lip.

"No you shouldn't have. You weren't ready to tell me."

Mikey nodded and stood up.

He went over to Frank and hugged him.

Gerard looked away.

It was too painful.

He needed to get over himself though and accept that Frank and Mikey were together.

Because they were and there was nothing he could do about it.

~

A knock on the front door woke Gerard up.

He had been sketching in the armchair and must've dozed off.

He blinked a few times and realised where he was.

As he rubbed his eyes, the person at the door knocked again.

Gerard frowned and checked the time.

It was half six in the evening.

Mikey wasn't back yet.

He was at work.

Another knock.

Jeez, this person really wanted to get in didn't they?

Gerard stood up and stretched before going to answer the door.

When he opened it, he was surprised to see Frank Iero standing there.

Gerard hadn't seen Frank since last week when he had invited Ray round.

He had suspected that maybe Frank and Mikey had hit a rough patch.

Gerard had wanted to ask Mikey about it but he had been a bit distant.

"Hey... Gerard," Frank smiled a little.

"Oh um hey, Frank," Gerard tried to smile back, "Come in."

He opened the door some more and shut it after Frank had entered the apartment.

They both walked into the living room and stood awkwardly.

"Uh Mikey's not here," Gerard said.

"Oh okay. Is it okay if I just wait here?"

"Yeah, go ahead. He should be back in about half an hour."

Frank nodded and sat down.

After a moment, Gerard went back over to the armchair and sat down as well.

Neither of them said anything so Gerard started sketching again.

"Have you ever drawn someone before?" Frank suddenly asked.

Gerard looked up to see Frank sitting close to him on the end of the sofa near the chair.

"I uh... A couple of times."

"Do you think you could draw me sometime?" Frank was serious.

"You really want me to?"

Frank smiled.

"Yeah. You're really good and I've never had someone draw me before."

Gerard thought for a second.

"Um... Yeah. Yeah, okay then. Maybe I will sometime."

Frank smiled again.

"Can't wait," He winked.

Gerard blushed so had to look down.

When he started sketching again, he felt like he was being watched.

He looked up to see Frank leaning closer, staring at his sketchpad.

Frank saw him looking at him.

"Sorry. Do you mind me watching you?"

"Um no... Do you want me to sit on the sofa so you can see better?"

Frank nodded a little.

Gerard smiled, stood up and sat back down next to Frank.

Frank scooted closer to him until they were sitting quite close.

Gerard continued with his sketch.

"Do you like cats then?" Frank asked after a few minutes.

Gerard smiled at him, "Yeah. They're my favourite animal. It's too bad I can't have one."

"Do they not allow you to have pets here?" Frank frowned.

Gerard laughed a little before saying, "No, we're allowed pets. It's just that... Well, I'm allergic to cats."

Frank couldn't help but laugh.

"Are you serious?"

Gerard looked at him again, "Deadly."

Frank shook his head, still laughing.

Gerard was about to carry on with his picture but he wanted to continue the conversation.

"What's your favourite animal?"

Frank looked up from the sketchpad, "My favourite animal? It's gonna have to be dogs, hands down."

"Dogs?"

"Yeah. I have two but I plan on getting more."

"Really? What are they called?"

"Peppers and Sweet Pea."

Frank smiled as he thought about his dogs.

"I'll have to come and meet them sometime," Gerard found himself saying.

Frank looked at him.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'd like that," Frank grinned.

Gerard looked down at his sketchpad, smiling.

"You'd like Sweet Pea," Frank said.

Gerard looked back up at him.

"She's my baby."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. And Peppers is my snuggle buddy."

Gerard laughed, "They sound cute."

"They are," Frank agreed.

Gerard didn't know why but he found himself saying, "What did Mikey think of them?"

Frank shrugged.

"He didn't say much. But I guess sometimes I need to remember that most people don't love dogs as much as I do."

Gerard nodded, "I think dogs are pretty cool."

Frank couldn't help but smile at him and say, "Cats are cool too."

A massive grin spread across Gerard's face.

"Yeah, they are."

They continued to just stare at each other for who know's how long.

The only thing that finally caught their attention from one another was the front door slamming.

Gerard just about jumped a foot.

He moved away from Frank and scooted to the other side of the sofa.

Mikey appeared in the doorway.

"Oh... Hey."

"Hi, Mikes," Gerard smiled at him, "How was work?"

Mikey shrugged before looking at Frank.

Frank smiled sheepishly.

"Hey, Frank..."

"Hey, Mikey. Can we talk?"

Mikey looked at Gerard.

Gerard understood and got up.

"I'm gonna go um... To my bedroom."

He left the room, carrying his sketchpad.

He wanted to know what they would be talking about though.

Eavesdropping was wrong and he knew that but he couldn't help himself.

He stopped when he reached the kitchen.

Nothing was said for a moment until Gerard heard Frank, "I'm sorry I haven't been answering your calls. I just... I've been thinking a lot."

"I have been too and I really am sorry I didn't tell you about Ray."

"It's fine, Mikey. It's not like you know about my past relationships."

"I guess... What have you been thinking about?"

"Us mainly..."

"Please don't break up with me, Frank."

"I... Are you sure though? Are you sure you're over him?"

Mikey sighed.

"I know Ray and I were together for a while but honestly, I'm fine. My feelings for him have completely gone."

Gerard very much doubted that.

You couldn't love someone for ages and then just forget about them.

There was a pause before Frank said, "Well... In that case, if you're sure-"

"I am. I promise you."

"Okay then. I-I won't break up with you. I like you a lot, Mikes."

"I like you a lot too, Frank," There was relief in Mikey's voice.

"Come here then," Frank's smile was obvious in his voice.

Gerard felt the wall behind him.

This couldn't be happening.

A tear made it's way down his cheek.

He quickly wiped it away and went into his room.

Gerard knew his feelings for Frank were steadily growing and there was nothing he could do to stop them.

He had to accept that there was nothing he could do and stop lying to himself.

Frank would never feel the same way and even if there was a possibility that he could, Gerard couldn't do that to Mikey.

He sat on his bed and put his sketchpad down next to him.

Why was this happening to him?

Why Frank?

Why did the first person Gerard had ever experienced proper feelings for have to be his brother's boyfriend?

It just wasn't fair.

~

Mikey had been staying at Frank's place for the past three days.

Gerard wasn't used to the lack of company and he missed both Mikey and Frank.

He was annoyed at himself for missing Frank though.

He shouldn't miss Frank.

He couldn't keep his mind off of him either since he was alone most of the time.

Ray wouldn't come over.

Gerard had invited him round at least twice but he just kept declining.

Gerard knew that Ray didn't want to risk bumping into Mikey again.

There was nothing he could do to change his mind.

Gerard stared at his phone, thinking about who to call.

He had no idea.

Why was his friend list so short?

He closed his eyes and sighed.

When his phone started ringing, he jumped and opened his eyes.

Gerard didn't recognise the number displayed on his phone but he answered it all the same.

"H-Hello?"

"Gerard? Hey, it's Frank."

Gerard's heart stopped.

How did Frank get his number?

"...Frank?"

"Yeah. I hope you don't mind but Mikey gave me your number."

Gerard was still trying to get over the initial shock, "I... No, I don't mind. Uh what's up?"

"I um..." It was Frank's turn to be nervous, "Mikey's at work and... I was wondering, if you weren't busy or anything, if you wanted to come round and um... Meet my dogs?"

Gerard couldn't believe what he was hearing.

It took him a while to find his voice, "Uh yeah... Yeah, okay. That would be great."

"Awesome. Oh and bring your sketchpad."

"Okay."

Frank gave him his address and then they both hung up.

What had just happened?

Gerard slowly stood up.

The reality set in.

Frank... Frank had invited him round?

Shit.

Gerard ran into his room and started filing through his clothes.

He knew he shouldn't be trying to impress Frank but he couldn't help it.

If you're going to see someone you like, you're automatically going to make yourself look as nice as possible.

At least, that's what Gerard was doing.

When he had settled on what to wear, he wandered into the bathroom and brushed his flaming red hair.

His roots were beginning to show.

He would need to dye it again soon.

As he looked back at his reflection, he tried to calm himself down.

"It's fine, Gerard," He whispered, "It's fine. It's not like anything is going to happen. All he did was invite you round to see his dogs. He's with Mikey. Nothing will ever happen."

He went back into the living room, grabbed his sketchpad and looked back at the last drawing.

It was finished.

It was a drawing of a small terrier dog.

Gerard wasn't sure what had caused him to draw the dog but he knew Frank had something to do with it.

He closed the pad and picked up some pencils.

He took a deep breath before shoving them into his shoulder bag.

When he had his coat and bag on, he left the apartment and started walking down the road in the direction of Frank's place.

It took Gerard about twenty minutes to get there and when he reached his apartment door, he stopped.

"Calm... Calm down. It'll be fine," He reassured himself.

Before he could think about it too much, he lifted his hand and knocked quietly.

He kind of wished he wouldn't be heard.

He was though.

He heard some barking through the door and Frank talking, "Okay, okay. Yes, I heard the door. Peppers! Fucking hell! Don't walk in front of me like that. I almost fell on my face."

Gerard couldn't help but laugh silently.

The door opened then.

"Hey," Frank smiled, a small dog in his arms.

"Hi," Gerard sheepishly smiled back.

"Come in, come in," Frank stood aside.

Gerard hesitantly walked into Frank's apartment.

There was no hallway.

The living room was the room you walked straight into.

Well, living room and dining room in one.

"Nice place," Gerard remarked.

"Thanks," Frank shut the door and followed Gerard into the room a little more, "Sit down if you'd like."

Gerard sat down on Frank's sofa and took off his shoulder bag.

"Do you want me to take your coat?" Frank put down the small dog.

"Uh yeah thanks."

Gerard unbuttoned his coat, took it off and handed it to Frank.

Frank smiled before leaving the room with it.

Gerard looked around.

Frank did have a pretty nice place.

The dog that had previously been in Frank's arms, jumped onto the sofa next to Gerard and sniffed his jeans.

Gerard smiled down at the little tike and stroked him.

The dog moved into his hand a little before climbing onto Gerard's lap.

"He likes you."

Gerard looked up to see Frank watching him from the doorway.

"He's not usually that comfortable around strangers."

Gerard shrugged, "I guess I'm just special."

"Yeah," Frank sat next to him on the sofa, "You are."

Gerard blushed a little and looked down at the dog on his lap.

"This is Peppers," Frank told him.

Gerard smiled at the dog.

"Hi, Peppers. I'm Gerard. It's nice to meet you."

Frank smiled as he watched Gerard stroke his dog.

"Sweet Pea's around here somewhere. I'll go find her."

Frank stood up.

"Would you like a drink? I could make some coffee."

"Yeah thanks," Gerard smiled at him.

Frank returned his smile.

"I'll be back in a minute."

He left the room.

Gerard was nervous.

He knew he had no reason to be but he couldn't help himself.

He always felt this way when he was around Frank.

Peppers barked because he wasn't getting enough attention.

Gerard looked back down at him.

"Can I tell you something, Peppers?" He whispered.

The little dog looked at him and barked again.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Gerard stroked him and looked towards the door Frank had disappeared out of.

There was no sign of him.

Gerard leant down closer to the dog and whispered in his ear, "I... I think I'm in love with Frank. Don't tell him though. Promise?"

Peppers stuck his tongue out and wagged his tail.

"Thanks," Gerard smiled.

He stroked the dog a few more times and that's what he was doing when Frank walked back into the room.

"Coffee will be ready in a minute."

"Okay, thanks," Gerard looked up to see Frank wasn't alone.

In his arms was a scrawny little dog.

"This is my little girl, Sweet Pea."

Frank sat back down next to Gerard.

Sweet Pea looked up at Gerard with wide eyes.

Gerard smiled at the little dog, "Hi, Sweet Pea."

Frank kissed Sweet Pea on the head, "Baby, this is Gerard. He... He's a friend."

He smiled at Gerard.

Gerard sheepishly smiled back.

Frank moved closer to Gerard and surprised him by leaning over him to stroke Peppers.

Half his body was practically on Gerard's lap, his legs spread out on the sofa behind him.

Gerard took a deep breath and watched as Frank fussed about his dogs.

Sweet Pea had moved out of Frank's arms onto the back of the sofa behind Gerard.

Frank looked up at Gerard from his lap.

"Uh..." Frank blushed and sat up properly.

Gerard looked down at Peppers to see him follow Sweet Pea around the back of the sofa.

"So," Frank said when he had collected himself, "How've you been doing? I haven't seen you for a few days."

Gerard coughed a little, "Yeah, I'm fine. How have you and Mikey been?"

"Have you not talked to Mikey?"

Gerard shook his head.

"Not since I last saw him."

"Oh. I would've thought he would have called you or something."

Gerard shook his head again.

Frank didn't say anything else.

"So uh..." Gerard decided to speak after a few minutes of awkward silence, "Why did you want me to bring my sketchpad?"

"Oh yeah. Um... Did you finish that drawing of a cat?"

Gerard nodded before leaning down and grabbing his sketchpad out of his bag.

He sat back up and flicked through the pages until he reached the cat.

"Wow," Frank scooted closer to him again, "That's rad!"

Gerard blushed.

"Thanks."

Frank leant over him again and flipped to the latest drawing.

"Fucking hell!" His eyes widened, "This is amazing!"

He looked back at Gerard, "This is really, really amazing Gerard!"

"Thanks..."

Frank stared at the picture of the terrier.

"Did you draw it for... Me?" He asked hesitantly.

"I uh... Yeah..." Gerard blushed again.

Frank smiled at him again.

"I really like it."

Gerard smiled and looked down.

"Could... Could you draw me?"

Gerard looked up to see Frank with a nervous expression set across his face.

"Yeah, sure."

Frank's face relaxed and he smiled.

Gerard grabbed a pencil from his bag and sat cross-legged on the sofa, facing Frank.

Frank turned to face him too.

"Do you want me to smile or...?"

"Do whatever comes naturally. I don't mind."

Frank nodded and smiled a little.

Gerard turned to a new page before looking at Frank.

He moved a little closer and started.

Neither of them said anything for the first ten or so minutes.

That was until Frank asked, "How long does it usually take you to finish a drawing?"

Gerard thought for a second, "Hm I don't know. I guess it varies. I don't draw people very often so I guess we'll have to wait and see."

Frank nodded.

"Stay still," Gerard looked up at him and smirked.

Frank tried not to move his face but failed and smiled.

"I said stay still," Gerard grinned.

"Sorry," Frank tried to keep a straight face.

A few more minutes passed.

"I like drawing you," Gerard admitted, surprising himself.

"Really?" Frank smirked.

"Yeah. You've got a good bone structure. This makes you easy to draw."

"Cool. I've never had that kind of compliment before. I'm glad you like my bones," He laughed.

Gerard shook his head, smiling.

"Could you... Could you come a bit closer? I need to add detail to your eyes."

"I hope you mean on the drawing. I don't want you poking me in the eye."

"Um no. On the drawing."

"Good," Frank scooted closer to Gerard.

Gerard leant forward even more and looked into Frank's eyes, locking them with his.

God though they were nice eyes.

"You have really nice eyes," Gerard breathed, not quite believing he had actually said it.

"Thanks... So do you," Frank said quietly.

Gerard forgot about the pencil in his hand and it dropped onto the floor, along with his sketchpad.

Neither of them noticed.

Their eyes stayed interlocked.

Gerard was lost for words and so was Frank by the looks of it.

After a while, Frank started to close the remains of the small gap between them.

Gerard's heart started beating like mad.

"Gerard... I..."

But Frank didn't finish; he closed his eyes and went for it.

As soon as Frank's lips touched his, Gerard's eyes fluttered shut too.

He couldn't believe it.

He was actually kissing Frank Iero!

This was the moment he had dreamt about for nearly two months.

Frank's hands reached down to Gerard's waist and he pulled him even closer.

He then moved back a little, pulling Gerard with him.

The kiss didn't break.

If anything, it got more passionate.

Gerard let Frank move him until Frank was on his back and Gerard was on top of him.

He then opened his legs and wrapped them around Gerard's waist.

Gerard moaned in Frank's mouth at the sudden contact and this resulted in Frank pressing against him even more.

"Fuck!" Gerard gasped.

Frank smiled and slid his tongue into Gerard's mouth.

This surprised Gerard a little but he soon got back into the rhythm and his tongue was getting involved as well.

Frank groaned and started stroking Gerard's back with his finger tips.

Gerard's back tingled under Frank's touch and his hands tangled themselves in his dyed black hair.

Frank smiled against their kiss and continued to tickle Gerard's back.

Gerard wasn't sure if he was dreaming or not.

Either way, he didn't want it to end.

It was perfect.


	3. Part Three

Gerard woke up to something wet licking his face.

He opened one eye.

Peppers was standing on his chest, licking his cheek.

Gerard closed his eyes and sighed.

After opening them again, he rubbed them with the heels of his hands and blinked a few times.

Peppers had stopped licking him and was staring at him, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

Gerard started stroking Peppers as he tried to remember what had happened last night.

It hit him then and he froze.

His eyes darted over to Frank who was lying, face down, next to him.

"Oh fuck..." Gerard sat up, Peppers jumping off of him.

"Oh fuck! Oh fuck! Oh fuck!"

He jumped up and took in his surroundings.

He was only in his boxers; his jeans and t-shirt were on the floor next to Frank's clothes.

"Oh fuck!"

Frank stirred then.

"What...?" He groaned.

Gerard grabbed his jeans and pulled them on.

That was when he noticed his phone on the floor under his t-shirt.

He grabbed it and checked it.

It was half eight in the morning.

Hang on...

Frank yawned and sat up.

He picked up his own phone and turned it on.

Gerard sat down, still topless, as thoughts ran through his head.

He hadn't...

No.

He couldn't have.

"Oh shit," Frank muttered.

Gerard looked at him.

Frank looked up and held out his phone so Gerard could see.

It was a text from Mikey:

"Hey. I don't think you were home when I finished work. I knocked but there was no answer. I went home. See you today sometime?  
Mikey xx"

Gerard made a face.

Not good.

Frank stood up, stretched and pulled on his own jeans.

"That... That was a mistake," Gerard said quietly.

Frank looked at him and shook his head.

"No it wasn't. We both wanted it. The mistake was that I hadn't realised it until last night."

Gerard sighed and dropped his head in his hands.

"What is wrong with me?!" He suddenly burst, "I'm such a fuck up!"

"No you're not."

Gerard looked back up to see Frank kneeling in front of him.

"You're not, Gerard. If anything, it was my fault."

Gerard shook his head.

"No. He's my brother and I-I... I slept with his boyfriend! He'll never forgive me!"

Frank thought for a moment before saying, "I'm the one who cheated on him. I betrayed his trust. I was the one who made a move on his brother. I mean, God, who does that?"

Gerard knew Frank was trying to reassure him a bit but it wasn't really working.

"It'll be fine, Gerard."

"No it won't! What will he say when we tell him?!"

Frank stood back up and pulled on his t-shirt.

"Well... Maybe we just won't tell him..."

This comment shocked Gerard, "What?! We have to tell him! I won't be able to deal with the guilt..."

Frank sighed and raked a hand through his hair.

"Did you say he thought Ray was cheating on him?" He suddenly asked.

"Uh yeah... Oh fuck!"

"I know..." Frank bit his lip, "Jesus Christ... This isn't good."

"Just bit of an understatement."

Frank smiled a little, "I know."

Gerard was freaking out, "What do we do?!"

Frank shrugged, "Not sure to be honest."

"Oh God. Oh God. Oh God," Gerard started rocking back and forth.

Frank opened his mouth to say something when he was stopped by Gerard's phone ringing.

Gerard hesitantly picked it up and checked the caller ID.

...It was Mikey.

"Shit," Gerard bit his lip.

"Who is it?" Frank asked.

Gerard looked at him and then back at the phone, "Mikey."

"Answer it then."

Gerard took a deep breath before putting the phone to his ear.

"Hey, Mikes..."

"Hey. Where are you? You weren't here when I got in last night."

"Oh um... I'm out..."

"Where? You never go out."

"Just uh... At a friend's."

"A friend? You don't have friends."

Gerard sighed.

"Wait..." Mikey went a bit quieter, "You're... You're not at Ray's are you?"

"I uh..." Gerard didn't know what to say.

"For God sake, Gerard!"

"Mikey-"

"No! Just... I've gotta go."

He hung up.

Gerard bit his lip and ended the call.

Frank was watching him still, "Well? What did he say?"

Gerard looked at him.

"He um... He thinks I'm at Ray's."

"Okay... We can work with that."

"The problem is though..." Gerard started fiddling with his finger nails.

"What is it, Gerard?"

Gerard sighed and said, "He's pretty pissed at me for supposedly being there..."

"Oh, shit," Frank closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, he said, "Well he's gonna have both our heads on a fucking spike when he finds out isn't he?!"

Gerard nodded slowly.

The reality seemed to hit Frank then, "Fuck... Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I never wanted to be that guy."

Gerard frowned at him, "What guy?"

"The guy who cheats on his boyfriend! I never thought I would be a cheater. And what makes things even worse is that... I slept with his fucking brother!"

Gerard stood up.

"Calm down, Frank."

Frank shook his head frantically, "I need fucking help. No wonder my dad left. There's something wrong with me!"

Gerard wrapped his arms around him.

"No there isn't. It takes two to cheat."

Frank nodded slowly and rested his head against Gerard's bare chest.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Gerard."

Gerard looked down at him, "What for?"

Frank sighed and replied, "For sleeping with you."

Gerard laughed a little, "It's not like you forced me or anything. As you said, we both wanted it."

"Yeah I guess."

They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Gerard's eyes widened and Frank bit his lip.

They both glanced over to the front door.

"Who... Who's that?" Gerard slowly moved away from Frank.

"I don't know," Frank shrugged, "I wasn't expecting anyone."

Gerard reached down and grabbed his t-shirt.

Frank went to the door and opened it a crack.

"Hey," Mikey smiled.

Shit!

Gerard, who had his t-shirt on his head, tried to run out of the room but tripped over a dog and fell on his face.

"What was that?" Mikey frowned.

"Uh nothing," Frank kept the door close to his side, "Just you know... The dogs. What's up?"

"Um nothing. How come you weren't in last night?"

Gerard pulled his t-shirt on properly and jumped back up.

He noticed his bag and grabbed it.

He then ran out of the room.

Peppers started barking after him.

"Shut up," Gerard moaned.

"Can I come in?" Mikey asked Frank.

Frank glanced behind him.

Gerard was no where to be seen.

"Yeah, yeah. Come in."

Gerard hadn't gone far.

He was standing in the kitchen, which was right next to the living room.

He could hear everything being said.

"Take a seat," Frank said.

Mikey did and smiled at his boyfriend.

"You look nervous," He raised an eyebrow.

"Do I? Well... I'm not."

Frank tried to laugh a little.

Mikey wasn't very convinced, "Um okay..."

"How was work?" Frank tried to change the subject.

"Okay I guess. So why weren't you in last night?"

Mikey obviously wasn't letting it go.

"I uh..." Frank thought fast, "I just went out for a couple of hours."

"Where to?" Mikey asked.

"Just out for um a drink."

"Oh okay."

Frank nodded.

"Why don't you sit next to me?" Mikey patted the sofa next to him.

Frank awkwardly sat down near Mikey but not directly next to him.

"Hey, guess where Gerard is," Mikey suddenly said.

In the kitchen, Gerard's ears pricked at the mention of his name.

"Uh where?" Frank swallowed slowly.

"At Ray's. I can't believe him. I mean, I know they're friends and everything but still..."

"Yeah..." Frank wasn't really listening.

Mikey noticed that Frank seemed distracted.

"Frank... There's something wrong. You're acting differently. What is it?"

"It's nothing," Frank tried to reassure him.

He looked anywhere but at Mikey.

"Frank... What is it? It's obviously something."

Frank wasn't listening anymore though.

He had noticed something.

Gerard's sketchpad was poking out from under the corner of the sofa.

Frank stared at it, wishing it would fuck off.

Mikey frowned and followed Frank's eyes.

"What the...?" Mikey stood up to get a better look.

Frank froze.

He knew he should say something but nothing came to mind.

Mikey leant down and picked up the sketchpad.

"Is... Is this Gerard's...?"

Gerard slowly looked around the doorway to see Mikey holding his sketchpad, his eyes fixed on Frank's face.

Frank opened his mouth but nothing came out.

Mikey opened the pad and started flipping through.

"It is. What... Why is Gerard's sketchpad here?"

"Uh..."

A million thoughts raced through Mikey's head.

"Frank... Answer me!"

Frank had no idea what to do.

Gerard bit his lip.

He decided that maybe lying to Mikey wasn't the best idea.

Mikey was still holding the pad, his eyes boring into Frank's face like daggers.

Gerard sighed.

He had to put a rest to this.

After a second of debating with himself, he walked into the room a little.

Mikey noticed him and looked up.

"Ger-Gerard? What are you doing here...? I thought you were at Ray's."

Gerard simply shook his head.

"What are you doing here?" Mikey was very confused.

Frank stood up then.

"Look, Mikes-" He began.

Mikey cut him off, "No... No. Don't tell me... You didn't."

Gerard walked closer to the sofa and said, "Mikey..."

"No..." Mikey shook his head, stepping back a little, "You guys didn't..."

He dropped the sketchpad on the floor.

Gerard was standing next to Frank now.

"I-I shouldn't have invited him over," Frank admitted, "Things... Things got out of hand."

Tears pricked in Mikey's eyes.

"You guys didn't," He repeated.

He looked at Gerard.

Gerard felt ashamed of himself when he slowly nodded his head.

"I knew it!" Mikey burst, "I saw the way you looked at him! How could you, Gee?! You're my brother! You knew I liked him!"

Something clicked then, "Is... Is that why you invited Ray round? To try and break us up?!"

"No!" Gerard was outraged, "Of course not! Why would I do that?!"

"Oh I don't know!" Tears were streaming down Mikey's face, "To get into my boyfriend's pants?! But I guess that didn't stop you! Did it?!"

Gerard stayed silent.

"Come on, Mikey," Frank tried to take a more calm approach.

Mikey looked at him and shook his head.

"How could you..." He whispered, "I... I could tell you liked him. I mean, who wouldn't like Gee? He's perfect and amazing at everything. And then there's me. Face it, if you had to   
choose between me and Gerard... You would pick Gerard every time. Wouldn't you, Frank?!"

Frank opened his mouth before thinking again and closing it.

"That's what I thought," Mikey wiped his face.

A few tears made their way down Gerard's face.

"I... I really am sorry, Mikey. I wish I could undo it but... I can't. I hate myself for doing this to you," He whispered.

Mikey squeezed his eyes together with his thumb and forefinger.

"I'm sorry too," Frank joined in, "I never thought I'd be the sort of person to do this but... I guess I just couldn't help myself."

Mikey glared at him, "Fuck you, Iero. I never want to see your fucking face again! You understand?!"

Frank nodded slowly.

Mikey turned back to Gerard.

"And as for you... I no longer have a brother."

Gerard's eyes widened, "Mikey-"

"No! Just... Leave me alone," Mikey turned and left, slamming the front door behind him.

When he had gone, Gerard slowly sat down on the sofa.

"Well..." Frank tried to break the ice, "That could have gone better..."

"Really?!" Gerard looked up at him, "You think so?!"

"Okay..." Frank sat down next to him, "I'm sorry. Jokes aren't exactly what you need right now."

Gerard sighed, tears still cascading down his face.

Frank wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close.

Gerard leant his head against Frank and cried into his chest.

~

"Thanks for agreeing to meet up with me. I um... I just needed to see someone," Mikey bit his lip.

"It's okay. I'm surprised you called me."

Mikey shrugged, "I am too, to be honest."

Ray nodded.

"So what's up?" He asked.

Mikey took a deep breath before letting it out in a big sigh.

"Has something happened?" Ray frowned.

Tears started to slowly dribble down Mikey's face.

"I... He..."

He looked up, into Ray's face.

"He-He cheated on me..."

Ray's eyes widened in horror, "He did what?!"

Mikey slowly whispered, "He cheated on me... With Gerard."

Ray blinked a few times, taking it all in.

"Okay... I think we definitely need some coffee over here."

Mikey smiled a little and nodded.

Ray stood up, sent Mikey a sympathetic smile and went over to the counter.

After ordering, he sat back down.

"I ordered your usual. Is that okay?"

Mikey sat up a little, "You still remember how I take my coffee?"

Ray smiled, "Of course I do, Mikes."

Mikey smiled at his feet.

"So..." Ray started the conversation up again, "Your boyfriend-"

"Frank," Mikey interjected.

"Right. Frank cheated on you... With Gerard?"

Mikey nodded sadly.

Ray frowned, "I don't know Frank very well so I don't know if that's the sort of thing he'd do but... Gee? Why would he do that?"

"I don't know," Mikey shrugged, "I guess he must hate me or something."

Ray shook his head.

"Gerard doesn't hate you."

"Then why did he do that?"

Ray thought for a minute.

"I guess... He must have feelings for Frank."

Mikey rolled his eyes, "Yeah I kind of figured that. Plus it was getting obvious."

"It was?"

"Yeah. I mean, he always froze around him and left the room suddenly whenever he saw us together. I had been meaning to talk to him..."

Mikey dropped his head in his hands.

"I... I just can't believe it..."

Ray nodded.

"I understand. I can't imagine how you're feeling right now."

Mikey sighed, "I mean... I thought Gerard didn't like Frank. I thought that was the reason he avoided us. But... I guess it was the opposite."

Ray nodded again.

"Look..." Ray said thoughtfully, "I know there's nothing I can do to help but... I think, and you may hate me for saying this, that you need to talk to both Gerard and Frank. You   
need to clear the air. You can't just stop talking to your brother."

Mikey was silent until he murmured, "I don't hate you... You're right. I don't like admitting it but you're right. I could never stop talking to Gee. He's my big brother."

"What about Frank?"

Mikey laughed dryly, "Well seen as I said to him that I never wanted to see him again... I guess we've broken up. I don't really care. It's made me realise that I didn't like him as   
much as I thought I did. I mean, I did like him but... Yeah..."

Ray didn't say anything so Mikey continued, "I think the reason I'm so pissed is because it was with Gerard. I never thought Gerard would even consider hurting me like that."

"I'm sure he didn't intend to," Ray replied, "You know what Gerard's like. He acts on impulse. He never thinks. He just does. That's what happened here I guess. He was caught up   
in the moment."

Mikey shivered.

"Okay yeah but... Can we not talk about my brother having sex? It just... Creeps me out."

Ray laughed, "Okay, sorry, Mikes."

That was when their coffee was brought over.

They both thanked the waitress and took their cups from her.

Mikey took a sip straight away, not waiting for it to cool down.

Ray couldn't help but smile.

He bit his lip, "I have to say... I've really missed that."

"Missed what?" Mikey took another sip.

"The fact that you always drink coffee as soon as you get it, even if it's burning hot. And of course this means that the steam from the coffee steams up your glasses."

Mikey smiled a little.

"I didn't realise... You noticed that kind of stuff."

"Of course I did," Ray smiled.

Mikey couldn't help but blush and look down.

Ray took a gulp from his own cup but had to put it back down again.

It was a bit too hot for his liking.

Neither of them spoke.

Ray knew what he wanted to say but he was scared.

"Mikey..."

Mikey looked up at him, curiosity in his eyes.

"I know you um... You're going through a hard time right now but..."

"That's a bit of an understatement," Mikey muttered.

Ray bit his lip again.

He wasn't sure whether to continue or not.

Mikey realised Ray was trying to tell him something important so said, "I'm honestly fine now. You helped a lot."

Ray smiled a little.

"What were you saying?" Mikey asked.

Ray took a deep breath before trying again.

"I um... I have something I need to tell you. I've been wanting to tell you for a long time but... I guess I never had enough courage. That was until I heard about you and Frank. I   
regretted not telling you straight away..."

"What is it, Ray?"

"I-I still love you, Mikey... I know you don't feel the same way anymore but... I can't help it. I can't help it and I'm sorry."

He looked down.

Mikey's hand appeared on his cheek.

Ray looked up.

"I wish we had never broken up..." Ray whispered.

Mikey bit his lip, debating with himself.

After a moment, he slowly leant forward across the table until his face was right in front of Ray's.

Ray held his breath, waiting to see what would happen.

In the end, Mikey decided just to go for it.

He pressed his lips against Ray's and closed his eyes.

Ray's eyes fluttered shut too and his insides melted.

He had missed this.

Mikey pulled away and smiled at him.

"I still love you too..." He admitted, "And I regret ending things."

A huge grin spread across Ray's face.

"I just... I'm sorry I didn't trust you, Ray. Now I think about it, trust is a big part of a relationship. I know you didn't cheat on me and I even knew at the time. I guess I got it into my   
head that I was kidding myself. I mean, why would a guy that's as amazing and attractive as you love someone like me?"

"Mikes, you're the one that's amazing and attractive. I'll always love you. I wouldn't be here right now if I didn't."

Mikey nodded.

"I'm sorry I ever doubted you. I'm sorry I didn't listen to your side of the story at the time. You're not the kind of guy to cheat..."

"I would never cheat on you, Mikey. There's no one I want other than you."

Mikey blushed.

Ray smiled back at him.

"I um... I just need to know one thing. Why... Why did you go back and see that guy when I had asked you not to? I admit I was being irrational but I guess I'm more of the jealous   
type than I had originally thought."

Ray sat back a little.

"You know I would never do anything to upset you," He said, "But... It was kind of an emergency."

Mikey frowned.

Ray continued, "Luke messaged me saying he wanted to meet up again. I told him no. I wasn't risking our relationship for a cup of coffee. Anyway, he ended up calling me. I   
answered out of politeness but was shocked when he told me..."

"Told you what?" Mikey asked.

"He um... Well... When I answered the phone, all I could hear was sobbing. I was confused at first but then he spoke properly. He said he couldn't take it anymore. I knew he was in   
a bad place because his last boyfriend had died in a car crash a month or so before. Also, he was in a lot of debt. So um... He told me he had taken a lot of pills. I could tell he was   
drunk. I asked him where he was and he said at his boyfriend's grave. I rushed over to find him unconscious, lying under a tree. I had to call an ambulance and I rode with him to   
the hospital. When I made sure he had family and friends around him, I came back home to find you and um... Yeah..."

Mikey didn't know what to say.

Silence filled the air.

Ray bit his lip.

"Mikes...?"

"I uh... I'm such an asshole!"

"No you're not-"

"Yes I am!" Mikey cut him off, "You saved this guy's life and I... I accused you of sleeping with him! What's wrong with me?!"

"There's nothing wrong with you!" Ray placed both of his hands on top of Mikeys'.

Mikey shook his head.

"Can you forgive me, Ray? I'm so sorry!"

"Of course, Mikes. I love you."

Mikey smiled and intertwined his fingers with Rays'.

"I love you too, Toro..."

They both leant across the table again and locked their lips together.

~

Gerard stared at his cellphone.

It was a watched clock.

He needed to hear from Mikey but calling him wouldn't be the best idea.

And he knew Mikey wouldn't be trying to get in touch anytime soon.

Sighing, he wandered into the kitchen to pour himself his third coffee of the morning.

The mug was only half full when he heard his phone ring.

Gerard's head snapped up and glanced in the direction of the living room.

He gave up on his quest for coffee in order to pursue his ringing phone.

He already knew who it was though.

Still, he picked it up and checked the caller ID.

Frank.

Again.

That would make it the eleventh time since Gerard had left his apartment yesterday.

Gerard had left soon after Mikey had.

He had to leave.

Being there wasn't helping anything.

Of course, Mikey wasn't back at their apartment when Gerard stepped through the door.

In fact, he hadn't shown up at all.

That wasn't really surprising.

Frank had been calling Gerard since midday.

As time had passed, the time between the calls had been shorter and shorter.

Frank had called ten minutes ago and here he was again.

Gerard sighed again.

He knew he should answer but...

It made Gerard ache that he was ignoring Frank.

Gerard wanted to speak to Frank as much as Frank wanted to speak to him.

He knew that wasn't the best idea though.

Not after what Mikey had said.

Even if Mikey did forgive him, Gerard couldn't even consider staying in contact with Frank.

No doubt Mikey would be angry if he did.

Gerard was conflicted.

He loved Frank but Mikey was his brother.

After all, family was everything.

And Mikey was all the family Gerard had.

Gerard knew if he had to choose between Frank and Mikey, it would have to be Mikey.

As much as it pained him to admit it, it had to be Mikey.

The phone wasn't ringing anymore.

Gerard had forgotten about his coffee and was just watching it again.

He would have to talk to Frank at some point.

But not until he had spoken with Mikey.

Mikey was the priority.

Gerard was too scared to call him though.

Maybe he should though...

When his phone rang again, he pounced on it.

It was Mikey.

Thank the lord!

Gerard answered.

"Hello...?"

Mikey didn't speak at first until he said, "Hey, Gee..."

"Hey, Mikes."

Gerard didn't know what to say.

Luckily, Mikey broke the silence.

"I um... I think we should talk."

Gerard bit his lip.

"Yeah, me too. Um... Do you want to meet up?"

Mikey was speaking but the phone didn't seem to be near his face so Gerard couldn't hear.

Gerard frowned.

"What? Oh uh no. I'll just come round to the apartment," Mikey was speaking clearly again.

"Okay... See you in a bit then."

"Yeah, okay. Bye," Mikey hung up.

Gerard sighed before ending the call and putting down his phone.

Mikey was willing to talk about it all.

That was a good thing.

Gerard didn't know what to say though.

And what would Mikey say?

"Okay, Gerard... Calm down. It'll all be fine. Don't worry," He whispered quietly to himself. 

What followed after that was ten anxious minutes of Gerard pacing around the flat, trying to think of what to say.

He was sitting on the edge of the sofa when the front door opened.

He stood up and faced the doorway.

Mikey slowly walked into the room.

"Hey..."

Gerard tried to smile, "Hey, Mikes."

Ray appeared at Mikey's side.

"Hey, Gee."

"Oh hey, Ray," Gerard frowned.

Ray smiled and sat down on the sofa.

Mikey stayed by the door.

"So..." Mikey raked a hand through his hair, "This wasn't my idea..."

"Oh," Gerard bit his lip.

Mikey glanced at Ray.

Gerard looked at him too and he smiled sheepishly.

"Why um... Why's Ray here?" Gerard asked.

Mikey blushed a little and looked at his feet.

When he didn't say anything, Ray decided to speak, "He stayed at mine last night."

"He did?" Gerard raised an eyebrow.

Mikey nodded, still looking at his feet.

"Does that mean-"

Mikey cut him off, "Look, we'll talk about that later. The reason I'm here is to talk about what you did."

Gerard bit his lip and nodded.

Mikey finally looked up at Gerard.

"Just... Why?"

Gerard slowly sat on the arm of the chair.

"I'm sorry..." He mumbled.

Mikey took a deep breath.

"You... You didn't do it on purpose to hurt me... Did you?"

Gerard's head snapped up.

"Of course not, Mikey! You're my baby brother. I'd never want to hurt you. It was a mistake."

Mikey looked down again.

Ray spoke then, "Maybe we should start from the beginning. Tell us what happened, Gee."

Mikey glanced at him.

Gerard stood up again.

He thought for a moment before starting.

"Honestly? I guess I liked Frank from the first moment I saw him. But when I found out about you guys... I was a little disappointed... Okay, very disappointed."

He looked at Mikey.

When Mikey didn't say anything, he continued, "So um... As the weeks went on, I guess I thought about Frank a lot. Seeing you guys together really got to me. I never thought I was   
much of a jealous person but... Yeah..."

Gerard bit his lip.

"Carry on, Gerard," Ray smiled encouragingly.

"I felt really uncomfortable around you guys and since Frank has such a flirty personality... I just couldn't deal with it. That's why I talked to Ray and met up with him."

Mikey nodded at this before looking at Ray and smiling a little.

"I was shocked when Frank called me. He said you gave him my number..."

"Yeah I did," Mikey finally said, "He just said he wanted to speak to you about a drawing. I didn't think much about it because, well, you're always drawing so yeah..."

Gerard nodded.

"What happened next, Gee?" Ray pressed on.

"He invited me round to uh meet his dogs. We had talked about that before so I agreed and went over. For awhile we just talked and I started drawing him because he had asked   
me to... And I guess one thing led to another and..."

"Okay," Mikey cut him off, "So... You have feelings for Frank and you have this whole time...?"

Gerard nodded slowly.

Mikey sighed.

"Why didn't you tell me, Gee?"

"I didn't want to ruin your relationship with Frank."

Mikey raked a hand through his hair.

"Okay, yeah, I liked Frank. But if our relationship was upsetting you... You know I would have ended it with him."

"That's exactly the reason I didn't tell you," Gerard muttered.

"Gerard-"

Mikey was cut off by a knock on the door.

All three sets of eyes darted towards the hallway.

"Were you expecting anyone?" Ray frowned.

"No," Gerard shook his head, "I'll go get rid of them."

He left Mikey and Ray in the living room and headed for the front door.

When he opened it, his breath caught in his throat.

"Fr... Frank, what are you doing here?"

Frank smiled at him sheepishly and replied, "I-I was worried about you. I know I sound clingy and desperate but you weren't answering my calls and... I don't want to lose contact   
with you, Gerard. We can't just leave it like that."

Gerard bit his lip, deliberating with himself.

In the end he said, "Fine. Come in. But... Mikey's here..."

"Good," Frank shut the door behind him, "I need to talk to him."

He went into the living room.

"Shit," Gerard mumbled as he followed him.

Ray and Mikey watched as Frank and Gerard appeared in the doorway.

Gerard held up his hands, "I honestly didn't know."

Mikey nodded a little, "I know, Gee."

Frank tried to smile, "Hey, Mikes..."

Ray stood up then and his eyes settled on Frank.

"Frank was it?" He asked.

Frank nodded.

Ray swallowed slowly before speaking, his voice full of venom, "Don't you dare hurt my Mikey again... I'm ignoring every instinct to hit you right now... Keep that in mind."

Frank didn't say anything; he just nodded slowly and stepped closer to Gerard.

Mikey blushed a little and smiled at Ray.

Ray's steely gaze left Frank's face and settled for a warmer smile when he looked at Mikey.

Gerard raised an eyebrow.

Looked like the Rikey train had left the station again.

He looked at Frank who had guilt struck across his face.

"Mikey," Gerard got his attention, "Frank has something he wants to say."

Mikey's eyes left Ray's face and turned to Frank's.

He nodded a little.

Frank took a deep breath before beginning, "Okay... I know this won't help but I just want to say sorry first... So, sorry... For everything. The main thing is this: I had no idea how   
strong my feelings for Gerard were until last night. If I had realised beforehand, I would've ended our relationship because it wouldn't have been fair on you. I knew there was   
something missing from our relationship and I guess it was passion. We never had that first two weeks of a relationship where we can't keep our hands off of each other. We   
jumped straight to the one month mark."

"I guess I have to agree with you on that one. It didn't feel like a proper relationship. It didn't click; there was no spark," Mikey admitted.

"Exactly," Frank agreed, "So, I guess, when I was hit in the face by that feeling with Gerard... I didn't want to lose it... I've never felt that way before..."

He sideways glanced at Gerard.

Gerard was blushing a little but nodded, "I've never felt this way about someone before either..."

They continued to gaze into each other's eyes and slowly their fingers intertwined together.

"For fuck sake," Mikey grabbed their attention after a minute, "Will you two just kiss already? This is painful."

An unsure expression spread across Gerard's face, "Are you sure, Mikes? I don't want to upset you."

Mikey shook his head.

"I've got nothing to be upset about."

He looked at Ray and smiled.

Ray beamed back and wrapped an arm around Mikey's shoulders.

"Well, it's about time you guys got back together," Gerard grinned.

Mikey and Ray looked at him.

"Yeah," Mikey smiled, "And it's about time you're happy so will you just fucking kiss him already?"

Frank laughed a little and Gerard looked back at him.

Unspoken words were passed between them before they both leant in.


End file.
